Virtual Earth along with NASA world wind are the best sources to know the entire world
Overview: Microsoft Virtual Earth is a relatively new framework of technology, which allows the users to develop highly interactive online Geo-mapping solutions for example the popular Live Search Maps powered by none other than Virtual Earth. The Microsoft Virtual Earth technology set is based on the modern concept of building highly interactive Internet application. This application should be media rich and appealing to the users.
The terminology known as umbrella RIA used to identify this concept is interpreted by the other IT communities as Rich Internet Application. Both the definitions given are appropriate in all the angles and terms. The main Idea behind Rich Internet Application is to bridge the Gap between Web-based counterparts and Desktop applications. In the terms of reactivity, responsiveness and overall User experience.
Many flavors of interactive mapping are provided by Microsoft virtual Earth application. It can be implemented as a web problem solver at its simplest level. So it effectively stimulates the World Atlas and Local maps which are hard printed. Additional convenience of User controlling the zooming several view options are also provided by Microsoft Virtual Earth platform. For example Aerial, Hybrid and even Bid’s eye view. The availability of Bird’s eye view depends on particular location. That is this feature is not applicable universally. Even maximum zoom feature vary from place to place.
Installation: To load the plug-in click Load/Unload in the plug-ins menu of the World Wind feature. Click ‘Virtual Earth Plug-in’ form the dialog box. Afterwards press the ‘Load’ button the indicator next to Virtual Earth plug-in should now change to green. Close the dialog box. If you want to change options present in plug-in click the toolbar icon.
A dialog box with several options is then displayed. If you want to change imagery then on or off the ‘layer on’ tick box, select the type of imagery you want to view. For example, you can view Road (Maps), Aerial (photographic type imagery) or hybrid that consists of both. To make World Wind move to your current location press ‘Locate Me’ button. Note that this location finding option is approximate and not accurate enough. It may be wrong by several miles. If you want web browser to view your current location then press ‘Open in live.local.com’.
Best Practices: In this feature, Interactive mapping takes place a centerpiece of the whole development. Virtual Earth has another mapping solution which shows all the North American NASCAR race tracks on a single map with all the basic information available there itself.
Virtual Earth and AJAX: Many of you must be wondering that what the full form of AJAX is (Asynchronous JAVA and XML). This application adds another degree of sophistication to the internet solutions and can be considered as a programmatic example in the context of RIA development. For example, a wonderful example of Virtual Earth Trade mark and AJAX co-existing together in a single web page can be found. This application shows the combination of Interactive Map built on Virtual Earth and the weather client module linked through SOAP technology to the freely available NOAA Weather Web service.
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